


Clerith Week 2020 Oneshots

by redamancys



Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: ClerithWeek2020, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:42:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26218825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redamancys/pseuds/redamancys
Summary: Clerith Week Day 4: ReunionShe reaches for that precious, yellow lily and chases after him, wondering what he's going to say this time. Already things are different and she's not certain yet if that's a good thing or not but she believes in him. To her, Cloud is…
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Cloud Strife
Comments: 25
Kudos: 63





	1. Captivated

It's just after dinner when the sunlight stretches low and far, creating large patches of light across the garden floor. He's stepped outside to find Aerith as she went missing sometime before dessert. He supposes (hopes, that she hasn't wandered off or she's hurt or the Turks found her or—) she's somewhere amongst all these blooms. He just has to find her. 

Elmyra had him up to his elbows in soap suds washing dishes, delaying his search. That, along with the scents and smells of a home cooked meal and the cosy atmosphere of the house made it almost feel like being home again.

Almost.

It's a lot less lonely here, though. He thinks his mother would have liked this place. _He_ likes this place. And it's a shame because he'll be gone by midnight. 

There's no point getting attached now. 

He shakes his head and remembers why he's even out here at all.

The path meanders around the garden and he ambles along it searching for that distinctive ribbon or any shade of pink. It's not until he turns a corner that he sees her and all his breath leaves him in a rush. 

There, in a patch of sunlight and grass (and please let there be no blood) lays Aeirth's strewn form, pale and uncharacteristically motionless.

His feet are moving before his mind catches up with them because he's still processing the sight in front of him; that this is real and that she's—

His knees hit the ground next to Aerith and he's about to call her name, shake her, anything to get her to open her eyes but something stops him. Something's _off_.

He pauses, breathless, and it's then that he hears the tiny, light snores coming from her and realises she's just asleep. 

Asleep, and _alive_.

He collapses back to sit on the ground and sighs heavily in both relief and at the absurdity of the situation.

He's only known this girl for a day and yet she's already giving him heart attacks.

The shaking of his hands becomes known to him and he fists them in the grass to stop their trembling. The effect she has on him is a visceral thing and he brerates himself for letting it get to him so much.

As his heartbeat slows from it's panic beat he sits there awhile and stews in his thoughts.

He can't… leave. It would be a failure of his bodyguard duties to allow her to sleep out here unprotected. Plus, when he thinks about it, he's never seen her so still before. All day she's been bright and bubbly and animated in all the ways Cloud is not. He takes this quiet moment to observe her—just to make sure she truly is alright. 

He's her bodyguard after all. He can't be too careful.

A quick assessment proves that there are no visible wounds or broken bones. He scans her head for any contusion and gets distracted by her long, dark lashes brushing her cheeks. He notes how the sun is shining directly onto her face so he holds out his hand to shade her eyes from the sun as she sleeps. 

Waking up to a beam of sunlight in your eyes wouldn't be nice.

This however gives focus to her lips and how pink they are and Cloud stares like an idiot until he gets his sense back and watches the garden instead.

The results of his analysis conclude that: she is uninjured and very pretty and he wants to kiss her.

The facts are: he has to leave and Aerith can't go with him.

He sighs.

_Don't get emotionally attached_ is clearly a mission failure.

Slowly, the sunlight moves and makes it's way around the garden enough that Aerith is no longer blanketed in sunlight and he can lower his hand back down. When he does so, he doesn't realise how close he's leaning over her until Aerith pokes an eye open and he can see every speckle of color that her iris contains in HD. 

It has him startling back so badly that he probably crushes a few flowers on the way. 

"Were you going to…" she puckers her lips and Cloud catches onto her meaning all too quickly. That doesn't stop him from avoiding the question completely. 

"H-how long have you been awake?" 

She sits up, smirks, and eyes him with fake contempt. 

"Since the earthquake that happened right next to my ear and the big gasp and—"

"Alright. I get it," he grumbles, pinching the bridge of his nose.

He's a _fool_. She's been aware nearly the whole time and he—

With a shake of his head he lounges an arm off one knee in a practiced act of looking cool, but after a moment he relaxes his posture.

"So? Why were you napping out here anyway?"

"Oh, well..." She turns her gaze to the flowers and laughs at herself. "I was waiting so long for them to say something that I guess I fell asleep."

Said flowers are innocently stirring in wind, unbothered by their guests, and he glares at them for their silent treatment.

With a sigh, he stands up and holds out his hand for her to take. Aerith bites at her lip and looks up at him.

"C'mon. Your mom saved you a slice of pie." 

"Pumpkin?"

"Pumpkin."

He swears Aeirth's eyes sparkle with delight when she takes his offered hand and he pulls her to her feet. They're bright with that same mirth much, much later when she ambushes him on his way out of the sector. At midnight, their light is like stars.

It seems that he won't be going alone after all.


	2. Laughing

"Don't go running off on your own. What if the Turks show up again." He juts his chin out. "What will you do then?" 

Aerith pauses in making her way down a lane in the Sector 5 slums and spins around to give him a look at her cheekiest smile yet. 

It's rather adorable. He finds the corners of his lips lift of their own accord but only for a second. He's got to maintain his cool demeanor.

"I'd do what I've seen my bodyguard do. Give them a good _wack_ here and a thorough _smack_ there."

Aerith kicks her leg so hard during her visual explanation that her boot flies off and they watch as it lands on a neighbouring roof with a dull _thunk_.

"Eh?" She binks disbelievingly at the sight. 

Her hands come up to slap over her mouth in surprise, then, Aerith is suppressing her laughter behind them as she bends over at the waist, giggling.

Cloud snorts.

"You'll hit them with your boot projectile?"

It's a few moments before she recovers from her laughing fit enough to straighten up and say, "Might as well use all the resources at hand, y'know." 

Cloud shakes his head and saunters over in the direction of the house where she's flung her footwear onto.

Hands on his hips, Cloud makes an assessment of the building for the best place to climb. When he finds it, he scrabbles up a pipe on the side of the wall after her boot. Aerith roots for him with creative cheers.

What he finds once he reaches the roof are: a few pigeon nests, various potted plants and vegetables like someone decided to start a rooftop garden, and a pile of boxes that he strikes to claim a Moogle coin for his collection. Most importantly is Aerith's missing item that he sees lying near the middle of the flat roof.

He collects the boot and jumps down to the street, landing perfectly on his feet. 

"You're like a cat," Aerith marvels at him.

She awkwardly hobbles to him on one foot and within a few short hops she's pinwheeling her arms to try and keep her balance.

And failing.

Cloud abandons the recovered boot to the ground and closes the distance between them in a quick burst of speed to catch her. He makes it in time for her to fall straight into his arms and face first into his chest with a dramatic _oof_.

Her, _ah sorry_ , comes out muffled by the fabric of his shirt. When she pulls back, her parted bangs are all messed up and strewn across her face, and Cloud's mind gets stuck on a loop of wondering _why is she so cute_?

What comes out instead is, "You're quite the lively one, aren't you?"

While she contemplates if that's a compliment or not, he picks her up, hand behind her back and under her knees. He places her gently on a nearby barrel and tells her to _stay put._

He retrieves the discarded boot from where he dropped it in his haste and crouches in front of Aerith who blinks curiously down at him. He's hesitant, for a moment, before he gently guides her foot back into her boot. Aerith watches him the whole time. 

"So handy!" She says, looking quite pleased with his work. 

He looks away at the sudden complement, shy and still crouched. But Aerith raises the toe of one of her booted feet and tips his chin up with it. His eyes meet hers.

"So, how are you enjoying your date?" she asks, coy and bright.

"Eh? Um… uh." He flounders like a fish out of water but eventually gets his words into a semblance of order to say, "I like getting paid."

She laughs again and it's the best sound he's ever heard.

Aerith lowers her foot so she can lean far forward. She cups his face and gives him a quick peck on the end of his nose. 

His ears turn bright, tulip red.

"R-recovery of lost items is outside of bodyguard duties."

"Okay."

"It'll cost you."

She smiles and it's like he has a front row seat to the sunrise—all rosey pink and soft.

"Okay. I think I can fit another date into my schedule," she says with a wink. "I'll pencil you in."

He knows she can feel his own small smile under her hands but he can't seem to hide it this time—nor does he want to, either.

"… Alright."

She lets go of his face to sit up and cheer, limbs punching out everywhere in celebration. She gets a little too enthusiastic and kicks out her feet and nails him in the face with her boot.

So much for his enhanced SOLDIER reflexes. 

"Ah, Cloud!" 

"... I'm _fine_. Watch where you—"

"I know you're fine. That's why we're on a date. Your nose doesn't seem fine though. I'm sorry."

"I'll just Cura it."

She puts a finger to her chin and taps at it, thinking. It's only a short moment before she comes to some kind of conclusion.

"Hold on. Let me... kiss it better?"

"That doesn't actually work," he mutters under his breath.

"So, you don't want one?"

"I didn't say that."

With a tricksy grin she maps out the entire journey to his lips, from each hand that is placed on his shoulders to her slow edge forward, giving him time to turn away if he wants to.

When she's near enough she lays a big smack to his lips that has him, stupefied and her, giggling once again as she pulls back. He's not quite ready to let her go, though. 

He cups the back of her neck to reel her in again for a kiss that he gets so caught up in that he forgets about the pain in his nose. Forgets about his nerves. Forgets about anything that isn't Aerith or Aerith's lips on his.

It seems love has hit him hard in the heart, and in the face.


	3. Everyday Life

"These things are rigged, you know."

"I know," she says, holding out her hand expectantly. "Pass me another gil." It's said like she's only half listening—her main focus is on the game in front of her and not on what he's saying. 

He's in no way jealous of a crane game. Nope. No way. 

Except that he _is_ and it's pissing him off. 

He passes her another gil anyway.

He's gonna let her have a few more tries at it before he steps in. That's what he keeps telling himself. But her frustration is kinda cute and, now that he thinks about it, he likes looking at her like this uninterrupted. But mainly, he wishes her attention was on _him_.

The _boyfriend_.

Not on the object of her current affection: the plushie.

He doesn't give voice to his thoughts, though. Just continues leaning against the glass barrier and _pines_ and internally _mopes_ and keeps handing her his hard-earned money like he's an infinite, automatic teller. 

Not that he minds. He'd give her the world if he could. However, he doesn't think she'd even notice right now. Not with the way her ninth attempt commences.

He watches her watch the claw as she maneuvers it to grab at the Chocobo plushie. She's got her tongue peeking out the corner of her lips and a super serious look plastered on her face that tells Cloud she's giving it her all. 

He flicks his eyes over to see the plushie once again slipping from the claws grip and how it unceremoniously plops back down onto the awaiting plie, face down and forlorn.

"Ho hee!" she yells in frustration. She kicks at the dirt a couple times before her body sags and she sighs—a breathy, dejected sound. 

"Maybe you're right. Maybe these are rigged." 

"So you _were_ listening." 

Aerith has no witty reply like she normally does and just hangs her head, despondent. The worry that spikes so rapidly sets his pulse off on an accelerated beat. 

Maybe she's more distraught about this than he thought. 

He pushes off from the glass and slides an arm around her waist, ducking his head to get a look at her face.

"Oi."

"Hm?"

Her lips press into a thin line.

"You're sad."

"Hm."

"I can… fix that."

She blinks at him in question. 

"The crane game. I can give it a go."

She lights up, the beaming smile he loves back in place, and Cloud thinks _there you are._

"Really?" She asks, excited like it's her first try all over again, but trying to hold it back lest she's in for disappointment once more.

He won't let that happen.

"Y-yeah." He lets go of her waist to fish another coin from his pocket. "The Chocobo, right?" He asks, like he hadn't already seen her multiple failed attempts. But he's got her attention on him again and he... wants it to stay there, just a little longer. 

"With the blue eyes and bright yellow feathers!"

As she says it, she finally gives him a proper look over and lets out a little laugh, spirits lifted.

"Your hair!" she giggles. 

"Eh?"

His hand reaches up and he realizes his hair is flattened on one side from being pressed to the glass for so long. Aerith pushes his hand aside so she can thread her own hand through his hair and tease the strands.

With sudden shyness he turns his head away but that just gives her better access to ruffle his hair back to a semblance of it's spiky glory. The feeling of her fingers roving over his scalp is quite nice. 

She's done all too soon and removes her hand. "Much better," she says with a self-satisfied nod.

The grin that lights up her face does things to Cloud that always leaves him reeling. His heart skips a beat, or two, and his stomach flips and he suddenly wants to impress her.

It's clear he's way in over his head in love with her and he never wants to stop.

He rolls up the sleeves of his school uniform shirt and Aerith makes a little _ooh_ of appreciation. It goes straight to his head. 

He's going to win this for her. 

And if he can't? Well, he can always bust the stupid thing open with a few properly aimed hits from his trusty nail bat.

He's motivated enough.

Aerith might not be too happy about the property damage, though. So, traditional means it is. 

He inserts the coin into the slot and carefully takes his time moving the device to the right location. He hits the button for the claw to descend and, hopefully, grab the prize. They look on with bated breath as at first, it doesn't seem to catch onto anything but then, at the very last moment, the Chocobo is quicky snatched up by the foot.

Aerith gasps and clutches onto his bicep in excitement, bouncing on her feet. 

Part one is a success but they're not done yet. 

It's agonizing watching as the little Chocobo, dangling upside down, travels closer and closer to the goal. He's completely riveted as he tracks it's movement for any telltale signs of it about to drop too early from the claw's clutches. With each second that goes by the stress ramps up and has Cloud sweating like he's in the middle of a fight or something. 

Eventually, the claw reaches it's destination and deposits the prize straight into the awaiting goal.

Aerith cheers, elated, and hugs him tightly around his middle. That, in itself, is a reward.

"You did it!"

"Mn."

She lets him go so he can collect the plushie and Aerith is more than happy to accept it. She nuzzles her cheek to the top of the Chocobo's fluffy head and looks up at him from under her lashes with her big, bright eyes that he gets lost in, over and over. 

"Thank you, Cloud! Best boyfriend ever!"

That's him. Boyfriend. Person of Aerith's affections. Owner of sixteen—now seven—gil. Gainer of title, The Best. Slayer of the crane game. Winner of Chocobos.

And hopelessly in love.

"Do you think you can get the pink one too? Lest this one gets lonely."

"It's not lonely," he mumbles.

"I'll pay you back. With another date."

"I'm free on Friday," he says quickly, already digging out another coin. 

"That's tomorrow. We have school," she points out.

"We're _free._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first two drabble things started off as part of a 'five times Aerith was like a Disney princesses fic' but I adapted them to fit the prompts lol. This time, I wanted to try a modern AU. 
> 
> Anyway, I'm loving Clerith Week so far. Everyone is making such wonderful things and I need to get caught up reading them all!


	4. Reunion

She sees him from the corner of her eye and smiles to herself. Heartbeat beating wildly in her chest, it feels like she's waited lifetimes to see him and finally, the day has arrived.

She triple checked the date, even got here earlier just in case he arrived at a slightly different time. But it's the same as before. Same time, same street that started everything. Their meeting that changed them is about to happen once again and she wants to treasure every moment of it.

She can't help but keep seeking glances at him. She hopes she's not being too obvious about it but she's waited a long time! She wants to see him more than anything. 

With her attention spit she's not focusing on her sales pitch and another customer passes her by and another sale fails. However, she's not deterred. After all, she's about to meet her best customer. She's so giddy her heart about to burst. When he reaches this side of the street she'll approach him and—

She's suddenly sideswiped by a whisper and all her careful preparations go right out the window. She's, thankfully, not knocked off her feet like times before, but they continue to pester her to the point she almost loses a flower or two from her basket. She's pretty miffed. This wasn't a part of the plan. Nowhere close. And now Cloud will—

Cloud!

The whispers finally let up and she spins around, afraid that she's missed her timing, missed _him_ and all these years of waiting were for nothing.

But by destiny or something like fate their eyes connect and it's like she sees multiple lifetimes in the space of a single breath.

He's here.

He's still here. 

There's no time to say anything because within the next breath he _crumples_. His hand reaches for his head and claws at his hair and Aerith thinks it's too soon. He shouldn't be breaking down. Something's gone wrong.

She runs to him, feet smacking against the cobblestone road and tries to peek at his face. He's bent over and it's hard to get a look at his features.

"Hey, are you okay?" She has to ask him twice for him to hear her properly but finally, he straightens up, whatever pain effecting his head abating for the moment.

"I'm fine," he croaks out, clearly not okay.

He brushes off her concern and starts to walk away. Back to Sector 7 no doubt. 

She's not letting him off the hook so easily! She's been waiting, y'know. And she's _worried_ , about him and the headaches.

He didn't even ask about her flowers.

She reaches for that precious, yellow lily and chases after him, wondering what he's going to say this time. Already things are different and she's not certain yet if that's a good thing or not but she believes in him. To her, Cloud is…

In a few steps she catches up and he looks surprised that she followed him, that his icy, gruff facade didn't put her off. That someone keeps trying. 

She holds out the flower like a promise and he stares, confusion and something else flickering across his face.

She wonders if he remembers anything. Wonders if she even wants him to. It'll be better if he doesn't, especially when she…

No. She told herself to spend the time she has with him with a smile on her face. No depressing thoughts.

When he asks how much for the flower her heart flutters and she knows she made the right decision to seek him out. Cloud's still Cloud no matter which universe they find each other in. He didn't show it to many and there were a lot of other factors involved but it's in the small things that she sees past the barrier he puts up to _him_.

They'll have to part soon but she'll find him and he'll open up to her. Just like he always has.

She slips the flower over his heart and allows herself a moment to appreciate the symbolism, and the view. It'll be awhile until she sees him again but the flower will make sure of their reunion. 

After all, they're here once again, aren't they?

He tries to scare her off from the dangerous thing he's involved with but even now, when he barely knows her, his over protectiveness shines through.

The whispers mess things up again and this time she does lose her basket of fresh blooms. How annoying. 

Why now? She's having a conversation she waited years for! 

She reaches for Cloud's wrist and it's then that she knows something new has begun. He can see them. He can _fight_ them. But they can also hurt him and she doesn't want that to happen. He has the Shinra troops that have arrived to deal with and these spectors seem to be after _her._ She wants them far away from Cloud. 

Resolute, she leads them down an alley, Cloud calling after her. She can't help but want one last look to tide her over until their next meeting. So, she takes it. 

It's brief, the glance, their time together, their first meeting in years, but it means _everything_.

 _See you later_.

She almost trips a couple of times as she winds her way through the narrow side streets. Almost turns back to go to his side. The pull is strong but she stays her course. He's not the only one who doesn't want to involve others in dangerous things.

It's a while until she loses them or they've decided to leave her alone, done with whatever game they're playing. She slows her pace to a jog, then a walk, then stops all together to lean against a wall to catch her breath.

It seems she's made it pretty far from Loveless Street into some residential area with tall houses tucked even tighter together. When she's no longer huffing and puffing she pushes off from the wall and continues her way forward.

The alley she's in opens up to a long street with train tracks running beside it below a bunch of short bridges that the street connects to. Many lights line the roadside and they flicker like they're beckoning her closer.

From somewhere in the distance the sound of gunfire echoes and a chopper flies closely overhead, whipping her hair back from her face.

Perhaps...

She jogs to one of the bridges and looks down to the tracks from over the brick barrier. The ground begins to shake and she hears the familier sounds of a train headed her way. She waits patiently for it to make it's way around the bend.

She'll only have a few seconds, but maybe… maybe...

There! Standing tall on top of the train, yellow flower still tucked against his chest, she sees him.

Cloud.

It's only moments before he disappears from sight and she rushes to the other side of the bridge. By then, he's nothing but a small dot that gets farther and farther away until she can no longer see him or the train that's carrying him towards his future.

She continues to stare at the place where he was until all the adrenaline and excitement drains out of her at once and she sags against the barrier.

She needs to go back. But… the last showing of Loveless is probably over by now and she won't make it in time to catch the crowds exiting the theatre. Her basket and flowers have probably been trampled so she'll have nothing to sell anyway. There's no real point going now.

She sighs. 

Slowly, like the blooming of a flower, a smile graces her face as she thinks back on the evening.

Their _reunion_.

"A church in the Sector 5 slums," she murmers into the night. "That's where I'll be."


End file.
